The Star Warrior
by DiamondPheonix12
Summary: Another Merryweather girl has arrived, cousin to Maria. It was 2012, something went wrong in the world, and now it's back to the 1800's. Modern meets history. A secret page is found in the Chronicles Of Moonacre. What now?
1. Chapter 1

The wagon drove into the Moonacre land. After her parents died, she was left to go there. She had heard it was nice, but she thought it would be really boring. This 'she' is Issy Merryweather, called Fire by everyone who knew her. Quite a rebel, and very strong, since Fire did boxing. Even though she's a girl, Fire beat more people than you could count.

Fire had straight blond hair that cascaded down her back, earning her many suitors, and had brilliant green eyes. Her bangs were pushed to the side, framing her face. She was thirteen and had a crazy life. It was the year 2012, but something went wrong with a new time machine and everything was back to the 1800's. Except for the fashion many people kept.

The wagon rolled to a stopped. "Why did we stop? Are we there? Can I get out now?" called Fire, not pausing for a breath between questions. No one answered back. "I swear that Hat Guy is death..." she muttered. Hat Guy was the nickname she gave to Digweed.

A hand grabbed her and she was yanked outside the wagon. Fire's defense mode was automatically on. She spun, punched, connected with a persons chin. The attacker released her and she back flipped with one hand, and saw who her opponent was. A boy with curly brown hair, a bowler hat, and a black choker with four brown feathers sticking out of it. Fire approved of his dark look, then put her mind back into attack and defense mode.

She glared at him before lunging forward, throwing punches and kicks. The boy was a rather good fighter. He pulled out a dagger and began attacking her once more. Fire grabbed a short tree branch and fought him back. She kicked his hand and the dagger flew to the ground.

The boy got a punch to her stomach and Fire grabbed his shoulders, banged her head into his, and kneed him in the gut. He doubled over in pain and other boys, all in the same dark fashion came out of the shadows of a forest Fire hadn't noticed. They all circled her, shooting glares that gave her an idea of tough they were.

The wagon was beginning to move. Fire backed up a little, turned, ran for a tree, climbed in and balanced her way across a branch. All of the people stared at her and Fire made a jump for it. She hit the ground hard, rolled, and ran for the wagon. It went through a gate that was just beginning to close. Fire put on a burst of speed, rolled under the gate a few seconds before it closed.

A sigh of relief escaped her and the attackers glared at her before running into the forest. "Bandits. I was just attacked by bandits and won." Fire said then shrugged. She ran up to the wagon and swung in through the window.

Before long, it was growing dark and they had stopped in front of what looked like a castle. "Welcome to Moonacre Manor Madame Issy." said Digweed as he opened the door of the wagon. Fire plopped down a foot. "It's Fire, not Issy. And don't use that 'Madame' thing on me." Fire told Digweed.

"Very well Mad... Fire."

She rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever." They were in front of a stone door that was thrown open to reveal a large man. "Hullo. I'm your Uncle." He took in Fire's dark purple combat boots with silver laces, neon green skirt, black fishnet leggings, and gray tee shirt with a exploding heart on it. He frowned then waved it away. Since he was going to have to live with this girl, better get used to it.

"I'm Fire." the girl said and frowned, rubbing her stomach.

"You okay?" asked Uncle, seeing her bruises and splintered hands. She nodded and shoved past him in the house. Uncle scratched his head. "I'll show you to your room in a second. Come down Maria!' he called.

A girl that looked thirteen with coppery hair came down some stairs. "Yes Uncle?" Her eyes caught sight of Fire and they regarded each other curiously. "Why don't you show Issy to her room?"

Maria nodded and walked up the stairs, Fire following. "I'm Maria. Your Issy right?" she asked, trying to make conversation. Fire looked at Maria and shook her head. "Don't call me Issy. No one does. It's Fire." Maria was quiet and observed Fire,as Fire did the same to her. To Maria, Fire look dark and strong and stubborn. To Fire, Maria looked dainty, like a china doll made of glass with a blue dress that had a simple flower print and darkish purple bow.

They climber more stairs until they reached the North Tower. "Here's your room." Fire nodded her thanks and walked in, where her luggage had already be set on the ground. After unpacking and putting everything away, she put on her pajamas and fell on the bed, the room dark. "I'll explore this castle tomorrow. 'Getting lost here seems fun...' she thought. Her mind wandered back to the fight. Who were they? A thought came to Fire. If they were in a group, there must be more of them in the forest.

Fire drifted off the sleep and dreams haunted her till morning. But when she woke up, they all fled her mind, not even a echo left. When she looked out the window, everything was dark. The sun wasn't up yet. Fire smiled at the thought that she woke up before the wouldn't come again so she got up. Fire changed out of her pajamas into her black skinny jeans, dark green tank top, and knee high red converse with dragons on the side. After combing her hair, she pulled on some fingerless camo gloves that went to her elbow and had a hole for her thumb.

A surprise waited for Fire when she went down to the living area. Maria was up too, but still in her white night gown and her coppery hair all over the place. "Hey." called Fire. Maria jumped, not realizing that Fire was there. "Morning." They smiled at each other awkwardly. Then a loud noise was heard outside.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

They sounded like shots being fired. Instinctively, Fire went down on her stomach. Maria copied her and lay on the ground, her face pale and scared. "Say here. It sounds like guns being fired." Maria nodded and Fire crawled to a window. She peeked out then went to the door, She opened it a crack and looked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Darkness still lingered in the sky, the sun not yet up. The sounds had stopped but Fire didn't let that drop her guard. Something was out there. Someone was out there. She took a delicate step outside, whipping her head around to catch any movement made. Fire thought that maybe whatever made the noise had left.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

It was still there. Whatever "it" was. By mow, Fire had tracked the noise to the roof. How was she ever going to get up there? The answer quickly dawned upon her. On the wall of the manor, were thick, strong looking vines that traveled up the side and onto the roof.

Fire grabbed a vine and hauled herself up. The vines hardly bent, promising that they wouldn't break when she put her weight on them.

Maria had gone outside then and looked around frantically for Fire. She was nowhere to be seen, and dread filled Maria. What if whatever was making that noise took Fire? What she had been kidnapped? What if- Her train of thought was interrupted by a scrambling sound above her head. When maria looked up, there was Fire, scaling up the wall like a spider.

"Uh" she gulped, her foot dangling in the air. Her fingers were slowly, ever so slowly, slipping off the vine. She had to move fast, or she'll plunge down to the ground. Fire tried to climb back up, but she was to late.

Maria screamed, and Robin, who was still hiding in the shadows, gasped as well.

Fire had fallen.

**(A/N) I know it's short. Didn't have to many ideas. But it's still something. So enjoy and check out my story on Fictionpress under the same pen name.**


	3. Chapter 3

Just as it seemed like it was all over for Fire, her hand lashed out and grabbed a thick vine. "Oh God..." she moaned. "Oh My God... I'm going to die..." she whimpered. Even so, Fire sucked in a pained breath and started up again.

Vine, stone, vine, stone... Fire kept at the pattern to not fall and eventually made it to the top. A surprise awaited her on the roof. Two guys in dark clothing were firing guns at each other. It was only a matter of time before someone got shot. Looking for a weapon, Fire spotted a brick laying a few feet away from where she was hiding out of sight.

'If I'm fast enough, I might not be noticed... I''l have to take the risk.' She thought and watched the two guys. Their attention was distracted. Now was the perfect time. "Three, two, one.. GO!" whispered Fire to herself before throwing herself into view. She just picked up the brick, when a shot rang out. The bullet grazed Fire's shoulder.

She heard a gasp and looked to the edge of the roof to see... Maria. That stupid girl! It was far to dangerous up here. Fire looked back at the gunmen. They glowered at her.

"HEY! If you're going to try to shoot each other, can ya do it on someone else's roof?!" yelled Fire. The only reply she got were bullets rushing towards her. Instinctively, Fire dropped down and hefted the brick in her hand. When that danger had passed, Fire ran forward and bashed one gunman in the head. He collapsed instantly from the force of the hit to his head. His gun fell out of his hand at her feet. Fire reached down and picked it up. When she turned to the other guy, he was gone. Instead, he held Maria in his grip with his gun pointed at her copper head.

His finger went to the trigger.. "NO!" screamed Fire. She held up her gun and pulled the trigger. The first bullet missed. The second grazed his cheek. But the third hit dead center, and he fell off the roof.

Robin watched in shock. 'Who IS that girl?' he wondered. He had never met a girl that fought like Fire, he never met one who KILLED to protect others. Nor did he know a girl that would jump off a roof.

Fire ran towards Maria to catch her, but it was too late, as Maria was already falling to the ground, thirty feet away. Without second thought, Fire launched herself off the roof in pursuit of Maria. No way was she gonna lose her cousin after one day! She tucked in her arms and was besides Maria in seconds.

She grabbed Maria and twisted so that Maria was on top of Fire. The ground was closing in on them.

A few seconds left before they hit the ground. Fire sucked in a breath, closed her eyes tight, and braced herself. Dirt flew up. A sickening thump was heard by Robin. Then he looked to the center of the flying dirt. Fire had hit the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

For an hour or so, the birds were silent. Fire lay with her eyes closed, Maria safely on top of her. Robin ran forward. "Fire? Fire. Fire! Wake up! You have to wake up!" No response. Maria cried and got off of Fire. The girl had saved her life, but now she was severely injured. Why? Why did this have to happen? Maria was a wreck. Her hair was messy and she was still in her nightgown that was now streaked with blood and dirt. 'Fire doesn't deserve this. I do. His is my fault!' she thought, punishing herself. A breeze gently touched Fire's face, the world silent, waiting for her to awaken. 'Please. Please' was the only thing Maria thought for a long time.

The sun was beginning to rise. Dawn had come. Golden light shone on Fire's pale face. Blood covered her arm, the result of a shoot from one of the guns. They didn't know how much longer she would last. Finally, they looked up from their silent vigil. Maria stood up. "Miss Heliotrope! Get everybody you can get and please hurry out here!" she yelled. Miss Heliotrope opened her window and nodded. Robin stood up as well. "I'll go get Loveday!" He rushed off. It finally seemed as if things were looking up. Maria looked at Fire, both girls silent. Blood pooled around Fire. Inside her head, she felt the pain. She was crying and screaming, running from something she couldn't see. '_Please, help me! Please! Help! Help me!' _Her voice echoed, fear laced in between the words.

Pain. Pain. All that was left of her was Pain. Small hands positioned themselves on Fire's arm. The bleeding began to stop a little. Though it was a little, it was filled with hope of survival. "_Loveday! How is she doing?" "Not so good! She won't wake up and keeps bleeding!" _Fire tried to open her eyes, but each effort was filled with pain and loss.

"_Fire! Come on Fire! Wake up!"_ White filled every space of her mind. And Fire woke up gasping for air. She was choking and coughing, eyes filled with fear. A bandage was wrapped around her arm. 'When did that get there?' Fire wondered, slowly calming down. She looked around, seeing Maria, Robin, Miss Heliotrope, Uncle, and a woman with curly hazel hair, possibly Loveday.

Maria hugged Fire with surprising force for a girl her size. Fire tried to wrap her arms around her, but her left shoulder revolted, throwing fire throughout her body. "Ah!" Fire yelled, then sucking in deep breaths. Uncle pushed Maria away and looked at Fire. "Are you okay Issy?" "FIRE!" she told him. "My name is Fire." Uncle nodded and repeated the question, this time calling her Fire.

All she was able to do was nod tiredly. Why did everything have to hurt so? Fire squirmed a little. Two broken ribs, and her ankle was sprained. Wonderful. Just what she needed.

Uncle picked up Fire and walked into the Merriweather mansion, everybody, including Robin and Loveday, following. "You'll have to rest. And don't move." Fire nodded and told him what else was busted in her. "I have two broken ribs and a sprained ankle. Anything for them?"

Uncle nodded Fire fell into an uneasy sleep. Nightmares tormented her, never staying long enough for her to remember, but long enough for Fire to feel fear. The only thing that everyone hoped for was that Fire would wake again.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hm?" Fire muttered, still half asleep. She looked a at the window, noticing that it was the evening, "Wha? I thought it was dawn..." She said to herself. Slowly and painfully, Fire got up and walked to the door of her room. Footsteps echoed up the hall, indicating that someone was coming. Just as she reached the door, the door was flung open and Fire was squashed in a bear hug.

Laughter filled the room. "Fire! Thank God that you're okay!" At the sound of Uncle's reassuring voice, Fire relaxed and hugged him back, even though it hurt her sore arms. "Miss Heliotrope! Maria! Come up! Fire is awake!" Uncle called down in a booming voice. Cries of joy were heard from the floor below. Within seconds, more footsteps pattered down the hall and into her room. Uncle let go of Fire and she was hugged tightly by Miss Heliotrope and Maria. Wrolf even came up wagged his tail. Without warning, a grumbling sound was heard. Fire looked embarrassed and asked, "I don't suppose that you've had dinner yet?" Everybody laughed, even Wrolf barked, and Uncle patter Fire's back.

"Come now! Dinner is waiting!" Uncle exclaimed, Fire smiling sheepishly. Together, they walked to the dining room, talking and laughing. When Fire opened the door, she stared on in amazement. Pig, chicken, apples, pie, salads, sandwiches, bread, beef, sheep, soup, and rice were piled up on the wooden table. Fire smiled and quickly sat down, everybody else following her lead. Dinner was merry and light. Fire couldn't believe how hungry she was. Food piled up on her plate and disappeared quickly. However, she got quite full and comfortable. By the looks of everyone else, they were too. Maria stood up, and Fire did the same. Together they exited the dining room.

Maria suddenly grabbed Fire's arm. "Come on, I have something to show you!" she whispered excitedly, leading Fire the the library. Fire looked around at the great, towering shelves in awe. Though it may not look like it, Fire absolutely _loved _to read. At home, well, her old home, she had eight bookshelves and still ran out of space for her books. Fire guessed that she had about 140 books or more, and had read ALL of them. But the library was a dream come to true to Fire. 'This place must have at least 400 bookshelves all eight feet tall, holding around 67 books each.' she thought. It surprised her on how fast she was able to do that, but had always been a math freak along with being a bookworm. "Fire! Don't you want to see this?" Maria called. Fire snapped out of her trance and ran over to Maria who was twenty shelves away.

"The Legend of Moonacre". A huge book with an old, brown covering. "Why do you want to show me this?" Fire asked. Maria shifted her weight onto her right leg. "Well... After we fell and you saved me, I got a feeling that you played an important role," she said, looking Fire dead in the eye.

All of this had become way to confusing for Fire. She only save Maria on instinct. Something had told her to keep her safe, don't let her get hurt. Almost as if it were a mission, a reason on why Fire existed. Keeping Maria safe felt like her job. They opened the book and bean reading. Fire learned about the prophecy, and how Maria was the Moon Princess. But nothing mentioned Fire. They flipped through all the pages a few times, looking for any clues. "Ugh, this is getting us nowhere!" Maria cried and shut the book.

A split second before the book closed, Fire saw something flash. "Wait! Give me the book!" she yelled. Maria held out the book looking confused. Without second thought, Fire grabbed it and looked at the first letter of the first four chapters. "F... I... R...E..." is what it said. Fire showed Maria and flipped to the end of the fourth chapter. The page seemed a little to thick. "How could I have not noticed this before?!" hissed Fire, pulling out a pocket knife that she always kept by her side but seldom used. The knife went between the page, and two pages peeled off each other. A page that hadn't see the light of day for possibly a hundred years.

"_Fire burns to protect the Moon from Night, _

_Giving it's life to save the Light._

_Silence in Music is the worst_

_And all Evil will come first_

_Less the curse is Broken."_

After the poem, Fire read the rest of the page. The page told of how the Star Warrior is to protect the Moon Princess and the valley. But one thought echoed in Fire's mind. 'Why me?' She had fallen into severe depression before, even tried suicide. She still had scars from cutting but kept them hidden under makeup. When she had come here, it was slowly fading away. She felt that she had a purpose. A good one. Silently, Fire closed the book and put it away, then turned and left the library. The doors flew open and Fire stalked out to the forest. The stars were beginning to sparkle in the purple/pink/blue sky. An animal squeal came from farther into the forest. Out of curiosity, Fire followed the noise to see and bird trapped in a cage. Fire walked up and inspected it. The cage was well crafted, made out of twings and vines.

Robin appeared with his gang. "Hunting I see," remarked Fire. Robin and his gang laughed. "Looks like we got two catches today." he said. Fire smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, not today. I'm a bit... a bit..." she trailed off. Fire blinked and finished her sentence. "Scattered. I'm a bit scattered. Yeah. Scattered. That's a good word." A high pitched sound hit Fire's ear like a brick wall. She covered her ears and tried to block out the noise. "Ugh... My brain.." she muttered and looked at the guys. "Don't yo hear it? It's like... a scream. High pitched screaming." They simply shook their heads no. "Oh. I'm going to investigate. Enjoy your bird." Fire said and walked off, hands still covering her ears. She walked first west, then south. The screaming noise became louder and unbearable.

Something was out there. And whatever it was didn't sound good.


	6. Chapter 6 (Special Holiday Chapter!)

The high pitched scream sound was pounding against Fire's head. It hurt so much, but Fire isn't one to give into pain easily. She fights to her very last breath. One unsteady step was followed by another. This continued for some time. Puffy clouds dotted over her head, but Fire paid not attention to them. Something kept pushing Fire forward, even though it felt as if her head might burst any second. The noise was important. Though Fire didn't know why, the screaming was important. The screaming seemed to be coming from within the forest. Then, without warning, it stopped. Pain left and Fire was able to uncover her ears.

Confused, Fire walked back to the Moonacre mansion and cut through the garden. The stars were out, giving the clouds a light gray hue. Deep within her thoughts, Fire climbed the stairs and walked down hallways to her room. The candles went out after she had changed into her pajamas and she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

"FIRE! WAKE UP!" yelled a very excited Maria. Fire jerked awake, breathing hard, and looking for any signs of danger. Upon seeing none, Fire looked at Maria tiredly and asked, "What?" Maria pulled Fire out of bed and pushed her to the door. Her golden hair was just a disheveled as Maria's copper hair. They both started to walk down the hallway, Fire rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and Maria bouncing up and down impatiently.

Fire wondered what got Maria so excited today. Perhaps today was a holiday? "Hey Maria, what day is it today?" she asked to make sure. "November 22!" Fire blinked at her.

"I thought that people in England didn't celebrate Thanksgiving since you guys didn't want them to become their own country," stated Fire. Maria sighed and corrected her. "Some of us wanted them to be their own country, and like Thanksgiving." Fire shrugged and went down stairs. Today, there wasn't much for breakfast, just porridge and milk. 'I guess we're eating a lot for lunch and dinner.' thought Fire.

Sure enough, the smell of turkey, ham, potatoes, and more came from the kitchen. The two girls finished their meal quickly and got changed. Maria wore a light pink dress with white leaves on it and a golden ribbon. Fire thought that there would be a celebration, so she put on a golden sun dress that had autumn leaves on it and green lace. They went outside and talked, walking around the garden. People from the village began arriving at the Moonacre mansion. All were chattering happily. Maria and Fire talked with a few, walking to the mansion. They all talked about how they were happy to be here again, how the Moonacre Thanksgiving Feast was amazing, how it was nice to be together with the whole town. So there was to be a celebration.

Moonacre Thanksgiving Feast. Seemed like everyone loved Thanksgiving. Maria and Fire walked out to the back gardens, and saw many tables put around the garden, next to the small fish ponds and duck ponds. By noon, the whole village was there, talking and sitting at tables, laughter filling the air. How nice and cheery it was.

Fire was developing a love for this certain holiday.

Lunch came around. And to Fire, it was the best lunch she had ever had. Pig, lamb, salads, fruits, so many different foods lined tables. Everybody sat down, still talking and catching up with friends. The Feast began, and everybody started eating. Fire piled her plate with food and took one bite of lamb. Oh, it was heaven. Hints of rosemary and salt, as well as a smoky taste was amazing. It was her first bite of lamb that she had ever had, and Fire loved it. She began to wonder what the others tasted like.

The chicken was delicious, with hints of pepper and was crispy. One salad had raspberries. Fire thought that it wouldn't be a good combo, but as soon as she tried it, she knew she was wrong. Bursts of flavor erupted. If it were a painting, there would be different hues of green, some blue and gold, and bright flares of a pink purple colour.

Looking around, it was clear that everyone enjoyed themselves as much as Fire. Maria had a strange glow to her, as if she was very, very happy.

In an hour, lunch was over and all the dishes were taken away, However, the drinks still remained, as well as some snacks. Dinner would be served in five hours, so Fire decided to play with Maria and the younger children. They ran out to the front garden. About twenty children were laughing and smiling, as were Maria and Fire. They ran and hid, played games and laughed.

Robin watched these festivities with a small smile. If only he could join in. But that wouldn't be expected of him. He was to hate the Merriweathers. Only at that moment, he could. Robin watched the smiling children, the laughing Maria and carefree Fire. If only he could join.

Fire noticed a presence watching them. It wasn't threatening, but worth checking out. "I'll be back in five minutes!" she called to the others. They nodded, waved, and kept playing. Fire walked out of the garden and peered into the forest, right where Robin was hiding. "You can come out you know," she said. Leaves rustled and a embarrassed looking Robin came out into the open. Fire studied him for a moment then said, "I don't suppose you want to come in?" Robin was startled. No one had every invited him somewhere. So he smiled and took the invitation. They walked back to the children and Maria.

Maria looked up to see Fire. But not just Fire, Robin too. "Don't worry. I invited him." said Fire, calming Maria a little. She nodded and dragged him in. "We're going to play hide and seek. Do you wnt to hide or seek?" asked Maria.

"Seek."

The game was played over and over, laughs and smiles came from every hiding place. Then five hours pasted and dinner came. Robin left and everybody else headed back to the table. It was a busy day, and busy night. 'But,' thought Fire, 'One of the happiest ones too.'

**(A/N) Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving! I've decided to do "Special Holiday Chapters" So if you have a holiday you want me to do, just tell me the mane of the holiday and when it happens! **

**~Bye!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

The winter air was crisp, clean, and cold. Fire shivered a little and buttoned up her black jacket that had angel wings on the back. She closed the window in her room when Maria came in. "Hey Fire, are you going outside?" Fire nodded. "Can I come with you?" Fire smiled and said warmly, "Sure! But it's cold out. I'll get you a sweater and jacket." Maria nodded and sat on Fire's bed as she rummaged around in her trunk.

"There you are!"

Maria looked a Fire, who had pulled out a dark blue sweater with a snowflake on it. She handed it to Maria, who put it on quickly. Fire had begun to look around in the drawers and other trunks, pulling out different items, putting them back, and repeating everything. In the end, Fire walked back to Maria with her arms full of clothing items that would keep anyone warm in the cold winter air.

Black gloves, much like Fire's own, just not fingerless, a pine green jacket, a white scarf similar to Fire's also, and boots were handed to Maria. "It's cold and snowing out, so it's best to try and not get a cold."

Once again Maria nodded and put everything on. As soon as both girls were bundled up, they headed down.

"Maria! Where are you going?" called , who was going down the stairs. "Out with Fire!" Maria answered back. looked at their clothing and gave her approval, but warned the girls to not get in any trouble.

And they were out in the white world!

Snow covered the ground, and green pine trees were dusted with snow. Everything seemed to sparkle in the pale sunlight and the cold wind blew snowflakes in captivating dances. Standing together among the white wonderland, Fire and Maria were a strange sight. Arctic hares and foxes looked at the girls before going along their lives. Birds chirped and sang.

Fire began walking forward, the snow crunching beneath her boots. She looked at Maria and said, "See that sapling over there?" Maria nodded, indicating that she had seen it. Fire broke into a smile and yelled, "Race ya!"

Blond and copper hair flew in the wind as the two girls ran to the sapling with red cheeks and laughter in their throats. Surprisingly, Maria, who had gotten a late start, reached the sapling first just seconds before Fire. The girls collapsed to their knees and looked at each. And bust out laughing.

"I," gasped Fire, "never knew," laughter, "that you could," giggling, "run that fast!" Maria laughed once more at Fire's surprise.

Maria looked at Fire and said, "I haven't," laughter, "run," gasp, "like that," chuckles, "for years!" The girls began laughing harder for a reason no one knew. Finally, after five minutes or so, Fire was on her back gasping and Maria was wiping tears from her eyes, they got up and decided to walk in the forest.

Snowflakes decorated both girls hair and their eyes were bright and shining. They walked and messed around for hours, even engaging in a snowball fight. Fire looked up at the sky and told her, "We better go back, it's noon. I didn't notice before, but I'm really hungry. Let's go get lunch!" Maria agreed with lunch and they set of to the manor. As they walked, Maria began talking to Fire. "I've never had so much fun before. It's nice to take a break from being proper and a lady all the time." Maria smiled and said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "Race you back!" And took off, Fire following.

Laughter filled the air and Fire thought about what Maria said. 'I've never had so much fun either Maria. Thank you.' she thought the herself, then put on a burst of speed, chasing her copper headed cousin.


	8. Chapter 8

Inside was warm. Maria and Fire rushed to the dining room for lunch. Both had red cheeks and were breathing hard after their race, of which Maria won again. took one look at both girls' red cheeks and asked, "What have you been doing?" Maria fidgeted and Fire looked around.

"We were... um... chasing a rabbit?" Fire suggested sheepishly.

Maria giggled but quickly smothered it. "Never mind that. Shall we eat lunch?"

looked at them for a second, then sighed and nodded, sitting down at the table. On the table was everything someone needed to warm up after a cold day outside. Stew, warm, fluffy bread, steamed vegetables, steaming rice, pasta, ham, mashed potatoes and eggs. For something sweet to eat, there was warm apple pie too. Maria and Fire dug right in to the midday meal. After running and doing so much in the cold air, both had large appetites.

After twenty minutes, they had eaten plenty to fill the gaping hole in their stomach. Maria and Fire excused themselves saying that they were full and headed upstairs to their room. Fire went into her room, Maria following.

"What do you want to do now?" Maria asked. Fire lay down on her back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She shrugged and got her laptop, which she had forgotten about and turned it on for the first time in four months.

Maria looked at it curiously and asked, "What's that?"

"A laptop. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it. It just... does stuff." explained Fire. Maria nodded. Fire turned her attention to the screen, typing in her password "Fallenfeather". The laptop loaded for a minute then Fire went online to YouTube. Maria peered over her shoulder, watching the screen with evident fascination. Music began playing from the device, surprising Maria.

"I stepped into a room of clocks that all told different times. I stepped into a mirrored world that mirrored all our crimes. You keep picking at the scab and I'll keep selling the plaster. You keep telling me that I'm bad, but I keep on getting better faster. You hold me down and you hold me up. You can't communicate. You brought me up just to bring me down. I've nothing left to say..." sang Fire softly. Fire looked at Maria embarrassed. "Sorry. I just love this song. Scab and Plaster by Marina and the Diamonds."  
Maria smiled and told Fire, "Don't worry. You're a really good singer you know." Fire nodded her thanks. For a few hours, Fire was showing Maria how to use the laptop and her MP3.

Fire stretched and looked at the time. "Hey, it's three! Want to go outside again?" Maria nodded and they went out again.  
"You want to make a snowman?" Fire asked, once both girls were outside. Maria tilted her head in the way dogs do when confused. "You've never made a snowman before?" Maria shook her head. Fire smiled and began making one with Maria, talking her through each step.

Just as they were putting the head on, Robin walked out of the forest. Having never seen something like a snowman, he was interested in it. He watched them put the head on and high-five, which was just as strange to Robin. Fire and Maria ran into the forest laughing. Robin walked back into the forest, hearing a animal squeal.

When he got to his trap with his hunting group, they found Fire holding twigs in one hand and trying to pull Maria away from the hare trapped in the hunting trap. "Well well. One trap, three easy catches. Girls just can't resist helping animals. My father just dieing to meet your acquaintance," gloated Robin. Fire dropped the twigs she had gathered and dropped into a defensive stance. The rest of the hunting group surrounded the girls, smirking. Robin grabbed Maria's arm and she spun around, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Hey Maria. When we get back, remind me to teach you self defense," Fire casually said. Robin tapped his right foot on the ground and the rest of the hunting group attacked.

Acting on instinct Fire blocked and kicked, then flipping out of range. However, Maria was still in the mist of them, fighting hopelessly. "Maria!" Fire yelled, outraged at the boys there. She flew right in, tackling one boy then kneed another in the gut. Unknown to Fire, another boy snuck up behind her and raised his fists, hitting Fire's shoulder where she had been shot. "Ah!" she cries and clutched her shoulder. "Right where I was shot huh?" she hissed.

The bushes rustled and Wrolf jumped out, protecting Maria. "It's the demon dog! Robin lets go!" cried the boy who had hit Fire. The rest of the hunting party agreed and ran, Robin throwing one last glare before running off.

"Thank you Wrolf," Fire whispered and sank down to her knees breathing hard.

Maria looked at Fire, the worry evident in her eyes. "Fire?"


	9. Chapter 9 (CHRISTMAS!)

Over the days, it snowed and snowed, creating a winter wonderland Fire had never seen before. Each morning, she was up just before dawn and was able to watch the sun hit the white snow, making it catch fire and sparkle as if it were made of magic. 'Wait. Snowing. Cold. It's winter. IT'S WINTER?! What day is it?!' Fire suddenly thought. She ran over to Maria's room, knocking loudly before bursting in. Maria quickly hid something and looked at Fire. Though she wanted to know what Maria was hiding, more important thoughts crossed her mind. "MARAIA! WHAT DAY IS IT AND WHAT MONTH IS IT?" she yelled, slightly panicked.

Maria looked at Fire as if she were face palming in her head. "Fire, it's December 20." This sent Fire into a frenzy. "I forgot about CHRISTMAS! I was so caught up in my thoughts, I forgot about Christmas! Thank you Maria!" called Fire as she ran out of the room.

Downstairs, Benjamin was walking into the library when he was somewhat attacked by Fire. Fire crashed in him shouting, "UNCLE! UNCLE!" He quickly closed the library doors from her eyes to keep a surprise hidden.

Benjamin glanced nervously at Fire and asked, "What is it Izzy?" "FIRE," came the instant correction. "But anyway, do you have a lot of paper I could use to draw on?" A very strange request for a very strange girl. Even so, he got a ton of paper and handed it to blond girl who had pencils and colored pencils as well as paint in her room.

As she went up to her room to start her work, Fire began to remember everyone's skittishness around each other as it got colder. But how could anyone forget Christmas?

When she walked in her room, the first thing she noticed was a note on her bed. It read, "We're having a Christmas Ball, so wear a nice dress!" Fire responded with a, "No! I am not going to wear a dress whether it's a ball or not! D:" and slipped it under Maria's door of her small room. A few minutes later, as Fire worked on her own surprise for everyone, a note was slipped under her door. "Loveday and I are going to put you in a nice dress no matter what it takes Fire!" Fire shuddered and decided to block her door for the next few nights. She was not going to be sleeping well until the ball was over.

From what she knew, the ball was to be held in the manor on Christmas Eve. Each year, the village happily looked forward to the ball, and everyone was to be there. And she had to wear a dress. In public. Definitely not sleeping.

Fire shuddered and waited until Christmas Eve, always working and her surprises. And just like Christmas, the ball came quickly without warning.

"Hello Fire, I'm Loveday," said the woman who had curly brown hair. "Hello," responded Fire. Maria walked into (nhy7,.j;li Brother's attack D:) her room with a twinkle in her eyes. She opened the passageway in the fireplace and and the trio went down and walked to Loveday's home. When Fire walked in, the first thing she saw were dresses. And dresses. And more dresses. "Gosh, you're really determined now aren't you?" she said sarcastically. The other two giggled. 'Might as well choose a dress for the ball and hide for a few hours...' thought Fire. A black dress? No, that was for... funerals and held to many memories. White? No, she would be lost in the snow. Purple? It was dark, but no. Green? Not really Fire's color. She inspected many dresses and was about to give up and fall down in the snow outside.

At last, the dress caught her eye. Red, yellow, and orange. Some light gray at the bottom of the dress. It had sleeves that ended at the elbow and flowered off like a flame. A blue ribbon held together a small black and gold corset. It was perfect. She gazed at the dress and said, "This one. It's... me." It was fire. Maria held up her own silver blue dress. They looked at the other's dresses, nodding in approval. Loveday clapped her hands together excitedly. "Now! Since the dresses are done, onto the shoes!"

Maria smiled happily but Fire let out a groan. "Can't I just wear my boots?" Maria looked at Fire not believing her ears. "Of course not! It's a ball, not a hunting party!"

After a long day, Fire lay down on her bed. But she couldn't keep still. The Christmas Ball was tomorrow! She sighed and got up, once again looking at her clothes. Her perfect, firey dress, black ballet slippers, or so they looked like, and gold gloves that Fire had cut the fingertips off of, just so she could pick something up without it crashing onto the ground. To soothe her nerves, Fire put on some music and fell into a deep slumber.

Three, two, one. The ball started now, at five. The day had been going to quickly. Sighing, Fire got changed and headed downstairs to greet the guests with Maria. There was a great feast, where Fire could only swallow some soup and have some bread before she excused herself and headed out to the garden.

Fire didn't know how long she walked alone before Maria found her and the two entered the ball. Many people looked at them. Their stares made sense to Fire, as maria was a beauty. They smiled and went their separate ways, Fire to the balcony and maria to the center of the dance floor. The night continued and Fire was suddenly pulled into the hallway. "Mhm!" she cried, a hand over her mouth.

She was released in the library, Maria and Benjamin and everyone else in there. They had left the ball in order to give their gifts. They gave Fire a bow and arrows and a white vest. Fire smiled and quickly went up to give them her gifts. To Maria was a watercolor of the moon with clouds and stars floating and shining. To her Uncle was a watercolor of a horse in a clearing of the forest next to a stream. All smiled and the festivities carried on through the night. Even though she dreaded the ball Fire had to admit that this was the best Christmas she's had in years.

**(A/N) Hello! I know it's a bit late, but here's Christmas! And to everyone who's reading this, Merry Slightly Late Christmas! I know I haven't been upload to much, but I've gotten really busy and I have A TON of stories to work on. So I'm very sorry about that, but I'll try to upload as soon as possible!**


	10. Chapter 10

The winter was surprisingly cold in January. Fire shivered in her room, under a heavy wool blanket. Fire was curled up in pink muppet sweatpants and a evergreen sweater with a book that she loved since she was little. Just as the book reached her favorite part, someone knocked on her door. Sighing, Fire called out, "Come in!"

A shivering Maria walked in, wearing a dress and a coat. "Are you warm at all?" Fire asked. Maria shook her head no, and Fire got up, wrapping her warm, wool blanket around her, and moved over to her drawer and pulled out red sweatpants. Maria looked at them and asked, "Do you have any skirts?" Fire rolled her eyes, but got a light blue, long, wool skirt with a matching light blue sweater. Maria thankfully grabbed the clothing and changed.

The two girls wrapped themselves in warm blankets and sat down. They didn't talk for a while until Fire suggest that they go to the kitchen and make some hot chocolate. Maria asked, "What is hot chocolate?" but Fire only walked out, Maria following.

After rummaging around in the cupboards, the two girls set ingredients on a counter. Coco, milk, and strawberries. Maria watched carefully at what Fire was doing. Boiling the milk, pouring it in the cups with the coco, and stirring both cups. She gave a careful sip and smiled. "Here you go! Best cup of hot chocolate I've had in a while!" maria also took a sip and stared into the drink in amazement. "It's so good!" she exclaimed. Fire smiled and grabbed a strawberry, dipping the tip in the hot chocolate and taking a bite, smiling. The other gilt tried it as well, of course.

Both took their cups and plates of strawberries and went to the library. After an hour, the two found good books about dragons, trolls, adventures, mystery, and horror. They shared the books, acting the scenes out crazily, making each other laugh. As the day worn on, they wrapped up in more blankets and were reading a scary story together, so scary that it felt real. So real, that when Benjamin opened the doors to the library, calling their names loudly, that they gave a scream. "Uncle! Don't do that ever again! I am going to have nightmares for a while now," groaned Fire. Maria looked at Fire and Benjamin, then burst out laughing. The other two soon followed.

As soon as they all stopped laughing and drew in gulps of air, Benjamin announced that it was time for dinner. They all left the library. Benjamin sniffed the air and asked, "What's that smell?" Fire looked down at her empty cup and replied, "Hot chocolate."


	11. Chapter 11

One day, Maria disappeared. She had said that she was going for a ride, and Fire was busy at the moment and watched her leave. And now she was missing. Fire ran around the forest, searching for any trance of her. In one moment, she saw a flash of black. _Them. _Fire spun around and her back hit a tree. She held her breath, trying to calm her breathing so whoever was out there didn't hear her ragged gasps for air.

"Please. Not here, not now, not ever. Please don't find me. Please don't find me. Please don't find me," everything in Fire's head was going haywire, constantly repeating, making her want to knock her own head off. Then silence followed. Nothing stirred in the forest. Fire's eyes were wide, waiting for something to happen; that's when she ran.

She ran as if something dreadful was after her. As if she was running away from the cold, hard reality of everything. Because she understood what had happened.

Maria had been kidnapped by the De Noirs. And if she wasn't fast enough, they might kill her. The single thought spurred her on like a train, a cheetah, even as fast as the wind. Because Fire couldn't stand by and do nothing as someone important to her was hurt, killed even. If anything happened to the people she loved, Fire just might die herself.

Without knowing it, as lost in her thoughts as she was, Fire's body instinctively had taken her to the De Noir castle. The castle stood on a slightly steep hill, which Fire climbed with some difficulty. After a few minutes of slipping and climbing, Fire reached a short wall which she easily threw herself over. Though there were people around, none of them spotted Fire just yet. Taking her chance, Fire climbed onto one of the houses and ran across rooftops, staying low to avoid being seen easily.

Then the familiar blue dress was spotted on one of the streets headed towards the castle. They were taking Maria into the castle forcefully, her arms pinned behind her back. Fire began to stalk them silently, into the castle and all.

The group surrounding Maria marched her into a dungeon. Fire watched from a bared opening, like a window, out of sight. Robin walked her to a cell with a smug smile. That smug look was quickly replaced by pain as Maria turned around and kicked him hard in the knee. Robin's face expressed great pain and Fire giggled quietly. "You little witch!" he yelled and shoved her into a cell. Turing around, he told the guard, "Keep an eye on this one, she's tricky." The guard nodded and sat down, making sure no one and nothing got in or out.

For some time, Fire debated with herself on how to save maria. Rush in and get captured but possibly freeing Maria? She might not even make it far if Fire did manage to get her out of the cell. Silently break in through the metal bars on the small opening and knock out the guard then free Maria and run out to safety? His armor, as a guard, would make a noise. Besides, how would Fire possibly break the _metal bars_ on the opening without him noticing? She probably couldn't even make a dent in them. Distracting the guard? He did have the key, and without it, going in there is useless and would have both of them trapped. The guard would most likely call of back and neither would escape. Wait until he leaves? Well how long would he be gone? Each option seemed useless and Fire began to panic.

Noise came from the cell as Maria climbed up a cage holding a skeleton, trying to reach yet another barred opening. Her small hand could reach and maria gave out a frustrated huff and dropped down to her knees. She lay down and closed her eyes on the floor, remaining still and silent for a few minutes. A sound of a horse attracted her attention. When Maria looked up, a white horse moved on the walls of the cell like a dream. Maria suddenly thought of something. It was risky, but would work. A bell rang and the guard happily got up to go for his break. Maria smiled at her chance and took off her dress, standing in her underclothes.

Her dress hang on the cage, as if she was trying to escape. Maria herself hid behind a wall next to the cell door. The guard walked back after ten minutes, smiling and humming, only to stop dead at the sight of the dress. In a rush, he opened the cell door with a key and walked over to the dress. Silently, hugging the wall, maria crept out of the cell and burst out running. Fire watched and laughed at her cleverness.

"Hey! You there! Stop this instant! Stop her! She's getting away!" the guard yelled, alerting many people who proceeded to jump up and chase Maria. Fire silently followed, on the rooftops once more. They were getting to close. Any longer and maria would be caught once more. Fire timed everything and in one second, she jumped from a roof, tackling a guard. Every person chasing Maria behind the knocked down guard stopped and grabbed Fire roughly.

They smiled viciously. "You're comin' with us little missy." No matter how hard she struggled, punched, kicked, and screamed, Fire could not escape. She was dragged to a little square of cobblestone where Maria stood on a wall, Robin and his gang before her. "Well well, if it isn't the little princess." "MARIA!" screamed Fire as loud as she could to garbed her attention before the guards clamped their hands over her mouth.

Her head turned at the sound of Fire's voice. "FIRE!" she yelled back, right before losing her balance and falling off the wall, down a steep hill, rolling through bushed and thorns.

The guards led Fire away to a different dungeon as Fire screamed, doing her best to go to Maria to see if she was hurt in any way, but they overpowered her ad dragged her into a cell. Her cell had a iron door and no metal bars or any light source. In there, she was completely alone. The world lay before her, yet she was so far out of reach. To make it even worse, it was deathly quiet, as if something terrible was about to happen. At least Maria escaped. 'At least I hope...' thought Fire. Within a hour, Fire was beginning to panic. The space was closing in on her and she began beginning desperately on the door.

She cried and shouted. "Let me out! Let me out! I'm claustrophobic! Please! Please..." Fire sank down to her knees as her mind and body shut down and Fire began to breathe slower and slower as her eyes closed, until no one could hear her breath in the cell.


	12. Chapter 12

Not a thing stirred, not even the air. A soft growling sound forced Fire to open her eyes slightly. Her chest barely moved, as if a boulder was resting on it. Struggling, she got up to her knees and crawled on the cold stone floor, wondering where she was. Fire's memory was failing her, but she could jst barely remember maria screaming her name. _"FIRE!"_She shook her head, trying to shake away the recent events to no avail. _Maria tumbled down the hillside through bushes and thorns. The guards dragged Fire away to a cell. No light sources and a single iron door, a cell where she was completely isolated and there was no way to escape... _

That was it! The memories hit her like a speeding train. She was in a cell, at the De Noir castle. Maria had escaped, but there was no way she could get out. Fire drew in heavy breathes. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. When she looked around, Fire realized how small it really was. Unfortunately, she was claustrophobic and panicked in small and tight spaces. Thankfully, the growling sound took her mind away from it, and she thought about it little. Even so, the little she thought about it, Fire wouldn't have trouble breathing until she got out.

The growling sound was at it's loudest point a foot away from a way. A rock slab there seemed a little lose and unsteady. It took all of her strength to pull it up. At last, there was an opening, just large enough for Fire to squeeze through. Even though she didn't know where it led or it it was a dead end, there was always hope and Fire held onto it like a lifeline. A tight tunnel led east, towards Merryweather property.

Fire braced herself for the challenge she had to go through to get back. As much as she didn't want to, the alternative would to be in that cell for a very long time, perhaps even until she died. In complete emptiness.

Not many things scared her, in fact, many call her fearless. However, none know about her problem with tight and small spaces. But she had to make sure everyone was safe, not just Maria. Fire made up her mind and began walking down the tunnel. Thoughts ran around in her head as Fire did whatever she could to distract herself from the feeling of being trapped, about to be crushed in the small space. Some may call it a brave act in the face of fear, but she called it torture. Every moment was agonizing. Eternity seemed to have passed by the time Fire reached the end of the long, cramped tunnel. She was breathing heavily, eyes wide with fright. A small bit of sunlight streamed into the tunnel, a narrow line of hope.

She was almost out of the tunnel. Fueled with the thought of going back into open space, Fire spurred on and threw open a door made into a cave wall. Fire laughed, breathing harder and harder before running towards Merryweather property. Before entering the house, in the gardens, she stopped and tried to calm her breath and pulse, as she wouldn't want someone to know what scared her, as it could and would be viewed as a weakness.

When she was fine and back to her usual self, Fire walked into her home, head high. Maria ran to Fire and captured her in a hug. "Fire, are you okay? Oh, I'm so glad to see that you're okay after these few days!" she cried out.

"Few days? But I've only been gone for a few hours, right?" responded Fire. Maria shook her head. You were gone for four days and we've all been worried sick. Miss Heliotrope! Uncle Benjamin! Fire's back!" she yelled into the seemingly empty house.

Miss Heliotrope was the first to reach Fire after going down a flight of stairs. "Oh! Thank goodness that you're safe!" Uncle's 'welcome back' wasn't quite as warm and friendly. He had hugged her and said , "Oh thank God you're okay. Don't ever do that again! Promise me you won't." Fire laughed and promised, before smelling lunch, causing her stomach to growl.

She pulled away, flushed, and laughed. "Can we go eat lunch now? I haven't eaten anything for days. I haven't had anything to drink either." Everyone nodded and walked towards the table piled with food.

Wrolf licked Fire's hand and she rubbed his head, thinking, "I'm so glad I'm back." But even though she escaped the cell, Fire was still trapped within a sad fate, playing a important part of the dreaded prophecy. The fight to keep the valley alive had begun.


	13. Chapter 13

Strike, dodge, kick, blind, punch, jump. The pattern repeated itself as Fire worked on her fighting skills. Maria occasionally joined in, but didn't seem very interested after a while. After she left, Fire decided to have a break and went for a walk in the forest. Her mind was distracted as she put one foot ahead of the other. Fire pushed past broken branched and animals. Somehow, she had ended up at one of the gardens of the Moonacre Manor. Fire was about to walk into sight and enter the garden when she heard voices talking about something in hushed voices.

Upon listening closely, Fire determined that one of the speakers was Maria. The other Fire was unsure of of. But what were they talking about? Fire turned all of her attention to the conversation, her ears just barely picking out the words...

"... But she still feels as if she _must_ look after me. I can handle myself perfectly fine. Honestly, she's just being a frightful annoyance!"

Who were they talking about? Fire's interested sparked. The second person began speaking...

"You should cut her some slack Maria. Fire is only concerned about your wellbeing. Perhaps, you should tell her to leave you alone to think for a while."

"Uncle Benjamin! You don't understand," groaned Maria. "I need to search for the pearls! With Fire breathing down my neck, I won't be able to get anywhere. She wouldn't even let me go because she would think it is to dangerous!"

Fire felt her heart shattering once more. _Isn't once more than enough?_ She thought bitterly. Pain and betrayal consumed Fire and she grew angry, seeing red as she stepped into their line of sight.

"Oh, please forgive me, _Princess Maria_. I suppose that you're too _worthy_ for my to care about! I'll leave you alone. I won't speak to you. In fact, I won't even look at you since you despise me oh so much. So do me a favor and return this act of kindness," Fire spat, venom laced in her words. She spun around to face Uncle. "And Uncle. Don't even bother. I suppose that you didn't like me at first. I thought you might be a family to me. But you. Are. Not. My. Family. And I wouldn't wish for you to be either! The slightest trust I placed in you two, ripped out, chewed on, and spit out right back into m face!" Fury radiated off of the blond girl, who promptly turned around and began to walk back to the Manor.

Maria watched Fire stalk away in shock, before shaking her head and running forward, grabbing Fire's arm.

"Fire, I didn't- I mean I- It wasn't- I'm..." No words could cover up what she had done. The damage was done and Fire would never forget and never forgive. She spun around and released her fury. "I thought we agreed! Leave me alone. Don't say sorry, sorry won't change anything! Humans," she snorted in disgust before wrenching her arm away and running to the Manor, never looking back.

The door to the Manor flew open. Fire stormed in, her feet automatically walking to her room, isolated away from everyone else. "Trust no one." The phrase echoed inside her head, beginning to drive her mad. Without realizing it, she had reached her room. Fire walked in and locked her door, determined not to leave or make a single sound.

Pain surged through her head. She sat on her bed, staring at a single spot on the floor. Hours must have pasted,because the next thing she became aware of was Maria knocking quietly on her door, telling her that it was time for dinner. Upon receiving no answer, Maria sighed and headed downstairs for her meal.

Thought hungry as she was, Fire refused to leave and face anyone. The embarrassment would be to much. To be insulted, called a annoyance. It was far to much for Fire.

Slowly, she got ready to go to bed, ready to leave reality for a little while, and put the day behind her. Although, the dreams she had in her slumber were much worse.

"_Issy? Issy? Come here Issy! Quickly!"_

_The smell of smoke came from all directions._

_What was happening?_

_Issy flew into her mothers arms, a popping sound coming from the ceiling._

"_Mom? What's happening? Where's Dad?" She called over the loud noises._

"_He's sleeping, baby. But he won't wake up for a while. But we have to leave now."_

"_But what about Dad?"_

"_I'm sorry Issy, there's nothing I can do."_

_Only then did Issy understand what was happening in their once safe home._

_Fire._

_Issy grabbed her mother's hand and both ran to the door to escape._

_But the exit crashed in, burning._

_The house was falling down as flames rose up._

_Everything was hot and orange flames danced dangerously close._

_Issy was protected by her mother and the rest of the house fell onto them._

_Only a few days later, when Issy woke up in a hospital, did she realize that it was her best friend who started the fire and killed her parents._

_And the flames closed in once more..._

Fire woke up to find that she had been crying. Her throat was sore, indicating that she had been screaming and yelling throughout the night. She wiped off a single tear that lingered on her cheek. Fire. Her name was a cruel joke. A constant reminder that she had given herself. To the people who didn't know the story, simply believed it was born from her fiery personality. But Fire used it to show the people who did know that it no longer affected her, that she had moved on.

But she didn't. And Fire was trapped in the past. The time she had been in Moonacre Valley, Fire managed to keep her mind off of it, mostly due to Maria. However, now it took over every waking thought she had. Fire closed up completely, her face becoming a blank mask, her eyes on the border of madness. Just as it had been the months before the time accident.

Looking out the window, she found that it was just past sunrise. A glass of water stood still next to her bed, and Fire didn't hesitate to gulp it down. There was also a small plate of food, but unlike the night before, she wasn't hungry. Fire unlocked the door and left her plate outside in the hallway. The image of the dreadful fire was permanently etched into her memory and she couldn't rid herself of it. The death of her father and mother stayed with her all throughout the day as she remained curled up in a corner, staring at nothing. For a moment, she heard Maria talking to Loveday about the pearls.

"I know that I'm getting closer to finding them! I can feel it. The painting is a sign isn't it? That-" Both voices and footsteps stops. They had noticed the plate of untouched food. The two walked into Fire's room.

Loveday looked worriedly into her blank eyes. "Fire? Fire, please, talk to us. Say something. Eat. You need to eat something. Please!" Maria began yelling at Fire to, "Wake up! Wake up Fire!", shaking her violently. As soon as she let go of Fire's shoulders, her head slumped forward, showing no life in her body besides the soft, quiet breaths.

A black shadow like aura surrounded Fire and Maria quickly recoiled at the sight. "What is it Maria? What's wrong?" asked Loveday. Maria looked on sadly. "I think... I think Fire's gone."


	14. Chapter 14

Fire hissed in pain. The silence in the Manor was slowly drowning her, and even though it was mostly her fault, Fire had to escape it. So there she was, clutching her leg, green eyes seemingly glowing in the dark. To escape, instead of going to the front door were someone was sure to wake up and keep her from going, Fire had crawled out of her window and jumped to the nearest tree, which was only a few inches away from the wall of the Manor.

Through Maria's silent treatment, which was what Fire started with maria returning it, Fire no longer felt welcome. If only Maria wasn't so stubborn, then maybe they could apologize and get along. But it seemed that Maria didn't care and was to focused on her search for the Moon Pearls.

Fire took nothing with her, making herself a promise saying that she would get what she needed when she found a place to stay. And just in case someone was up and lurking in the forest -_"Robin," Fire accusingly thought_- She was covered in black. Black shirt, black pants, black boots, black gloves, black hat. Fire knew that she would blend into the darkness well so only a trained eye would be able to spot her. But silently going down the tree, branch to branch, had proved to be painful. The half moon hung above Fire as she clutched her leg beneath the leaves of the tree. All it took was one mistake, one misplaces foot, to make her fall. Blood ran down Fire's leg from a large cut. After a few minutes of sitting in the silence of the night, Fire got up, all while cursing under her breath with her fists clenched in pain and determination.

After seeing that she was able to stand up, although painful, and began walking slowly to the forest. "Pain is just a illusion. It's just a feeling. Feelings can't hurt. Just a illusion; it doesn't actually hurt," Fire thought, repeating the phrases over and over. The pain slowly faded away, but a small, constant throbbing never let her forget that it still hurt and still bled.

She kept going, farther and farther away from the Manor, into the forest. The moonlight hardly penetrated the dense foliage and Fire often tripped. After what felt like forever, a clearing seemed to appear out of nowhere in Fire's eyes. Breathing became difficult and Fire stumbled to a large tree.

Slowly, Fire sank into oblivion, and everything around her blurred together in one confusing mess.

The sound of footsteps made Fire raise her head, and look around. A unidentifiable figure stood in the corner of her eye before slowly making it's way over to where she sat on the ground, defeated. The figure was all black, but Fire saw that the figure's eyes were a warm emerald green.

That was the last thing she remembered before sinking into the darkness once more.

_Sinking. _

_Everything__ was quiet, peaceful._

_I didn't fight with the water, only sunk. _

_I floated, looking up at the light above me. _

_Air. _

_I needed air. _

_But at the same time, I didn't want to disturb the peace._

_Darkness closed in._

_I spotted thin wisps of red in the water._

_Blood._

_Blood? _

_I looked at my chest. _

_A wound above my heart was bleeding steadily._

_My entire body began to burn._

_My eyes closed themselves against my will, and I opened them no more._

Sunlight blinded Fire the moment she opened her eyes. Blinking tiredly, Fire took a look around her surroundings. The clearing was large, trees spaced out near the clearing, and more tightly packed the farther they went away. Leaves covered the ground, and it was eerily empty.

It was as if Fire was the only living creature in the forest. Not a single song of a bird, or growl of a bear was heard. A constant throbbing in her leg made Fire look down. The memory of pain of blood from the night before arose in her mind. But there was no blood, only a faint hint of pain. Her leg was wrapped tightly in a white bandage.

Who could have done it? Fire remembered no one, except for green eyes. Green eyes belonging to the dark figure.

Fire shook her head, banishing the thoughts from her mind. But they kept coming back. Fire did her best to not think of them, instead focusing on getting up and trying to find another living creature - preferably human.

The silence was thick in the air. The emptiness pressed in on Fire. The feeling of suffocating, the world closing in. A dream of death leaving blank echoes in her mind.

Fire was alone.

* * *

The Manor was a loud, busy mess. It had been for most of the waking hours. Everyone searching frantically, inside and out.

"Fire!"

Each call was echoed by another. Maria called for her cousin until her throat was sore, searching in every nook and cranny, looking for secret rooms where Fire might have disappeared to. All without ever finding a trace of Fire.

For the first hour after waking up, everything was calm and peaceful. Fire never came down, but everyone shrugged it off as she was either still sleeping, or trying to avoid everyone for as long as possible. Maria ate breakfast without Fire. And waited for an hour with Benjamin. After a while, Maria had gotten worried and went to Fire's room.

_Knock_. "Fire, are you awake?"

"..."

"You missed breakfast."

"..."

_Knock knock._ "Fire, I know you aren't talking to anyone, but please say something."

"..."

_Knock knock knock._

"..."

"Fire, I'm going into your room, okay?"

"..."

The door opened silently and easily. Maria stuck her coppery head in before stepping into the room. There was a lump under the blankets of Fire's bed. Thinking she was asleep, Maria walked as quietly as possibly to Fire. Slowly, Maria shook Fire. But something was off. Only one person was breathing in the room. In a fit of panic, Maria ripped off the bed sheets, half-afraid of what she would see. But under the covers was no corpse, but a large pillow. Fire was gone.

"Fire!" screamed Maria, hoping that the blond girl was still within hearing range.

Footsteps rushed towards the room. Benjamin, Ms. Heliotrope, and Digweed ran into the room, looking alarmed. "Maria what's happened?" cried out Ms. Heliotrope, checking Maria for any sign of injuries. "Are you alright Maria?" Benjamin asked, voicing everyone's thought. She nodded before taing a breath and saying, "Fire might not be! She's vanished!"

Silence settled in the room as what maria just said sunk into the present group.

"... WHAT? What do you mean Maria?!"

"I mean that I came in to check on Fire, and she was gone Uncle Benjamin!"

Ms. Heliotrope and Digweed stood still in shock. Benjamin turned on them. "Well? What are doing standing there? Quick, we must search for Fire!"

And so the searching began.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER ISN'T THE BEST, IT WAS THE BEST i COULD DO I PROMISE THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE BETTER. So, I will be able to update faster in a week or so, since I'm on vacation right now, visiting family in Okinawa. We're leaving on Monday, which would be Friday for you people in the US. So... Yeah!**

**Happy Reading!**


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